Reclosable carton



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RECLOSABLE CARTON Reynolds Guyer, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to WaldorfFaperProductsCompany, Ramsey County, Minn., a "corporation of MinnesotaApplication October 18, 1954, Serial No. 462,703

4 Claims. (Cl. 229--51) invention relates to an improvement inreclosable cartons and deals particularly with a carton used forcontaining a product not all of which is used at one time.

In the construction of cartons which are used for products of the typewhich are used from time to time it is desirable to construct thecartons so that they may be reclosed between uses. to preventcontamination of the product after the carton has once been opened. 7

An object of the present invention lies in the provision of a cartonwhich may be sealed closed and which may be easily opened for removal ofthe product. The carton is also constructed so it may be reclosed afteruse.

Anadded feature of the present invention resides in the provision of acarton having top closurei flaps arranged in overlapping relation andwhich may be adhered together to form an affective closure. A tear stripwhich is designed by..weakened lines of .separation such asperforatioris, cut scores and the like is provided in the outermostlayer. By removing this tear strip, the top of the carton may be easilyopened.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a cartonprovided with a tear strip by means of which the carton may be openedand in providing an arrangement for locking the closure flaps in closedposition. As a result, the top of the carton may be effectively closedafter it has been opened.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be moreclearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the carton blank from which thecarton is formed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sealed carton.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the carton partially open.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the carton in fully opened position.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through a portion of the reclosedcarton showing the manner in which it is reclosed.

The carton is indicated in general by the letter A and includes fourside walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 connected together in series. A fold line14 connects the panels and 11 and a similar fold line 15 connects thepanels 11 and 12. The panels 12 and 13 are connected by fold line 16 anda glue flap 17 is foldably connected to the edge of the panel 13 by afold line 19. The glue flap 17 is normally glued in overlapping relationwith the panel 10 to form a rectangular carton.

A fold line 20 connects the panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 with top closureflaps 21, 22, 23 and 24. A fold line 25 parallel to the fold line 20connects the bottom edges of the side wall panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 withbottom closure flaps 26, 27, 29 and 30.

In the arrangement illustrated the panels 22 and are of the full widthof the top of the carton, while the other flaps are somewhat shorter.The bottom of the This arrangement is desirable carton is closed byfolding the flaps 26 and 29 into a common plane and then folding theflap 27 therebeneath. The panel 30 is then folded beneath the panel 27and adhered thereto to form a tight bottom closure. The top of thecarton is similarly closed. The flaps 21 and 23 are normally folded intoa common plane and the flap 24 is folded thereover. The flap 22 is nextfolded over the flap 24 and adhered thereto along its end and edgesurface. As will be noted in Figure 1 of the drawings the flap 24 isprovided with a pair of spaced weakened lines of separation 31 and 32which are parallel and which are at right angles to the fold line 20.

A tear strip 33 extends longitudinally of the flap 22, extendingparallel to the fold line 20 at a point spaced. from the free edge ofthe flap. This tear strip 33 is formed by spaced side by side weakenedlines of separation 34. Notches 35 are preferably provided at one. endof the weakened lines of separation or in. the end edge of theflap 22.This permits the tear strip to be grasped and pulled outwardly. i

A pair of parallel weakened lines of separation 36 and 37 extend fromthe fold line 20 to the tear strip 33. The weakened lines 36 and 37substantially register with the weakened lines 31 and 32 when thepackage is sealed.

A generally U-shaped cut line 39 is provided in the center'of the flap22 defining a short tongue 40 which} is directed toward the fold line20. The flap 24 iu.,.. cludes .a. U-shaped cut line 41 in the centerthereof; which forms a short tongue 42which is directed in thei samedirection as the tongue 40 when, the package is l closed,w Thepurpose ofthis arrangement .will be more clearly described. 7 1

When it is desired to open the sealed package illuse-l trated"in Figure2 of'the drawings, the endnr the tear strip 33 between the notches 35 isgrasped and the tear strip pulled outwardly as indicated in Figure 3 ofthe drawings.

The tear strip can extend entirely across the top of the package or mayterminate at the weakened line 36. In sealing the package adhesive isapplied outwardly of thetear strip 33 and outwardly of the parallelweakened lines 36 and 37, the area beneath the center portion of theflap not being coated with adhesive. Similarly, the areas of flap 24outwardly of the tear lines 31 and 32 are coated with adhesive so thatthese outer portions of the flap 24 will adhere to the flaps 21 and 23.Due to the fact that the flaps 21 and 23 project inwardly slightly morethan the width of the portionsof flaps 22 and 24 lying outwardly of theweakened lines of separation there of, these innermost flaps 21 and 23form inwardly projecting ledges or shoulders as is shown in Figure 4 ofthe drawings.

After the tear strip 33 has been removed, the carton may be opened byinserting the fingers beneath the center portion 43 of the top flap 22and pulling upwardly, tearing or separating the flap 22 along the foldlines 36 and 37. The hand may then be inserted beneath the centerportion 44 of flap 24 and this flap opened by pulling it upwardly,tearing the same along the fold lines 31 and 32.

When open, the carton appears as indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings.The remaining opening in the carton top is of sufficient size to permitready access to the contents of the carton and at the same time theportions of the carton top which remain intact considerably strengthenthe top of the carton and hold it in proper shape.

When it is desired to reclose the carton, the center portion 44 of theflap 24 is folded back so that the ends of this flap overlie the ledgesformed by the projecting ends of the flaps 21 and 23. The center portion43 of the panel 22 is folded to overlap the flap portion 44,

When in this position a downward pressure is exerted upon the tongue 40,tending to press this tongue downwardly. This pushes the center portionof flap 34 downwardly to an extent sufficient to cause the tongue 40 toengage in the wider opening defined by the tongue 42. In other words,the lower top panel portion 44 bends down into the carton until thetongue 40 engages in the slot formed by the out line 42. This ispossible because the tongue 40 normally slightly overlaps the edge ofthe flap portion 44 adjoining the out line 41 when the carton is closed.

Reopening of the carton may be accomplished by merely grasping the freeedge of the panel portion 43 and pulling it upwardly disengaging thelocking tongue 40 from the slot formed by the cut line 41.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my car ton, and while I have endeavoredto set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understoodthat obvious changes may be made within the Scope of the followingclaims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A reclosable carton including a series of side walls connected intubular relation, top closure flaps connected to the upper ends of saidside walls, said closure flaps including a pair of opposed flaps folded'into a common plane, a third closure flap folded to overlie the firstfolded flaps and having parallel weakened lines of separation extendingat substantially right angles to the fold line connecting said thirdclosing flap to its respective side wall, said weakened lines dividingsaid third closure flap into a center portion and end portions, meansadhering the end portions to the first folded flaps, and a fourth flapfolded to overlie the third flap and including weakened lines ofseparation at substantially right angles to the fold line connecting thefourth fiap to its respective side wall, said last named weakened linesbeing substantially in registry with the weakened lines of said thirdflap, a tear strip extending at right angles to said weakened lines ofsaid separation in said fourth closing flap near the free edge thereof,said tear strip being defined by spaced weakened lines of separation anddefining a removable strip portion therebetween said first mentionedweakened lines of separation in said fourth flap extending from saidtear strip to the fold line connecting said fourth flap to itsrespective side wall, the portions of said fourth closing flap outwardlyof said tear strip toward the free edge thereof and outwardly of saidfirst named weakened lines of separation in said fourth fiap beingadhered to the next beneath element.

2. The construction described in claim 1 and in which said third closingflap extends only a portion of the distance across the top of thecarton, leaving end portions of the first folded closing flaps exposedand adhered to the fourth closure flap.

3. The construction described in claim 1 and including interlockingmeans on said third and fourth closing flaps which may be engaged forholding the carton reclosed.

4. The construction described in claim 1 and in which the third andfourth closing flaps are provided with similarly directed interlockingtongues, the tongue in the uppermost fourth closing flap engaging in theslot formed by the tongue in the third closing flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,712,249 Byrne May 7, 1929 2,004,098 Andrews June 11, 1935 2,148,480Larsh Feb. 28, 1939 2,360,415 Gilbert Oct. 17, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS449,968 Great Britain July 8, 1936

